Coventry City 2 - 1 Millwall

[dutchman]

Wright scores winner for Coventry against Millwall



Haji Wright was Coventry City's goalscoring hero once again as his late winner against Millwall stretched the Sky Blues' lead at the top of the Championship to eight points.

Wright netted his 10th league goal of the season 12 minutes from time after he bagged an 85th-minute winner against Leicester on Saturday.

The USA forward's strike was tough on Millwall and Alex Neil's side showed enormous fight to level through Mihailo Ivanovic.

On-loan Crystal Palace winger Romain Esse had given Coventry the lead with his first goal for the Sky Blues against his old club.

Following a brief wobble after Christmas where they only got one point from three matches, Frank Lampard's side have now picked up back-to-back wins and hold a nine-point buffer to third-placed Middlesbrough.

However, they were severely tested at times against a Millwall side who have promotion ambitions of their own.

Coventry goalkeeper Carl Rushworth saved a shot from the sliding Macaulay Langstaff before Esse gave the home side the lead at the CBS Arena.

Wright's header from Ephron Mason-Clarke's cross was parried by Max Crocombe and Esse pounced to knock home the rebound from close range.

Winger Esse spent a decade at Millwall before he signed for Crystal Palace for £12m, but has made just one Premier League start for the Eagles.

Femi Azeez should have tested Rushworth when he was played through on the right and pulled his shot across goal. But he made amends in the 29th minute when Millwall broke and he crossed for Ivanovic to hook home his teasing cross for the Serbian striker's sixth goal of the season.

Coventry were harshly denied a second for offside against Esse, even though he did not appear to be interfering with play, and Millwall pushed for a winner.

Zak Sturge fired wide before Rushworth made a superb one-handed save to deny Ivanovic and Thierno Ballo headed over.

Then, just as he had against Leicester, up stepped Wright and when Brandon Thomas-Asante controlled Tatsuhiro Sakamoto's cross, he took a touch before firing home.

Coventry boss Frank Lampard told BBC Radio CWR:

He [Romain] came to see me after Leicester and he wanted a little rundown of the game, which was great. I love that, he's engaging and he wants to score more goals.

"For a modern winger, it's really important because we know he's got talent, a huge talent, one v one, the things he can do for us are different.

"People expect there's a magic potion to get goals. But if you're in and around it, you'll get your chances and it was brilliant for him to score. I was really pleased to see him score against his old club and he deserved that.

"Haji also deserves a big shout because the way he played today, his all-round game, was more important to me than his two goal involvements because he's strong, he was competing, he was pressing."